If you ever thought you’d have a time of job for life the way your parents may have had, it’s now something that is increasingly rare. There are a lot of reasons why this is: the rapid pace of digitalization has only been accelerated by the pandemic, plus we have seen multiple global recessions over the last couple of decades.
Millennial and Gen Z workers are more likely to want to move jobs too. Gallup research discovered that only 29% of millennials are engaged at work. These days, most of us now expect to have multiple jobs and even career changes on our resumes as we go through our working lives.
In the U.S., 20% of working adults in America say they don’t expect to be in the same industry in 2030. So, in addition to a move away from a job for life, we’re also moving towards a career that will have multiple pivot points.
In an environment where we’re experiencing an ongoing “Great Resignation,” it can seem like a great idea to get a new job, and the figures back it up: in January, nearly 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs.
But how soon is too soon to switch roles, and what is a good amount of time to stay in a job? It won’t be a surprise to know that there is no perfect science, and this depends on your experience, your age, and your industry.
But there are a few guidelines you can follow, and we’re looking at those below.
Your experience level
For your first job, a year to 18 months is sufficient. At this point in an entry-level role, you should have had the opportunity to learn the ropes of how to do your job, understand office dynamics and how to perform within a team, deliver tasks to a deadline and accept some increased responsibilities.
When you are in mid-level positions and have more responsibility, how long you stay can be determined by a few factors, including job satisfaction and salary. Can you continue to grow your career at the company and are there good promotion prospects, mentoring and management? Use these factors to help decide if you are happy to stay put for two to three years to develop your career.
For leadership roles, for example senior management level, consider a tenure of three to five years for each position.
Your generation
Gen Z spends just two years and three months on average at a job, while Millennials add another six months to that with a figure of two years and nine months. The older demographics of Gen X and Boomers stick around longer at five years and two months, and eight years and three months, respectively.
Your industry
The national average for job tenure in the U.S. is 4.2 years, but in tech, it can actually be a lot shorter. Around 50% of software engineers only stay at a company for two years before switching to a new job. And according to data from Paysa, Facebook’s employees last an average of 2.02 years, while Googlers stay for 1.9 years. Apple engineers stay the shortest amount of time: they only last at the company for 1.85 years.
Have you considered the above and are you now thinking about looking for a new job? It’s a good time to look: there were 11.2 million open jobs in the U.S. in July, according to the Labor Department, which reported the figures as part of its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS.
Ready to apply for a new role now? Discover your ideal new career move on the Fossbytes Job Board
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Kirstie McDermott, Senior Content Manager, Amply
